Kyodai
by Amerachan
Summary: Once you fix what you've broken, it's all downhill and easy from there, unless of course, your emotions hinder you. Rated for language. Edward focused. Elric based fluffness, but no yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

Kyodai

This was it. The moment they'd worked so hard for. He grasped the small red stone in his hands and walked over to where his brother knelt over the professor's body. He gently lay a hand on his cold metal shoulder.

"Are you ready, Al?" he asked, smiling with hope in his eyes and voice.

The tall expressionless suit stood and faced his brother, nodding his large metal head.

"Yes brother." There was hope in the young voice from inside the suit as well.

He nodded and awkwardly moved the stone towards Alphonse, not sure how it would work. Then, as if the crystal heard his doubts, it began to shine brilliantly, and the large office lit up with its light. The light moved from the stone to Al, and he heard his brother gasp as he was engulfed by it.

The the light filled the entire room, so bright that Ed had to shield his eyes, careful not to drop the stone. In a matter of minutes, the light dissipated, and before him stood Al, _smiling_ at him, he eyes looking at him weakly. Ed smiled back, tears building in his eyes. But his relief was short lived as Al's eyes fell shut and he began to collapse. In a panic, Ed dropped the stone and caught his brother before he hit the floor.

"Al!" he screamed at his brother, shaking his shoulder with gentle urgency. "Al! Oh man, Al, c'mon! Answer me!"

But Al didn't answer, and Ed frantically checked his neck for a pulse, sighing heavily when he found that his brother's heart was beating strong. But his face was pale, as though he were ill.

Reluctantly, Ed rested Al upon the floor and walked across the room to the professor's desk, clapping his hands together and holding them before it. In a small flash of light, he transmuted it into a bed. He looked it over once and nodded. It'd hold the both of them just fine. He turned and walked to his unconscious brother, slowly picked him up and carried him to the bed. He then lay in it, and gently placed the covers over him.

Then he remember the stone. He'd dropped it while catching Al. He returned to the spot he recalled letting it fall, only to find a small pile of red dust where the stone should have been.

"Amazing power for a fake."

Ed spun ninety degrees to the right to find Lust sitting atop a bookcase.

"So interesting, that a fake stone would work so well, bring your brother's body back," she said, raising a hand to her cheek, brushing away stray strands of her hair.

"Dammit" he whispered.

Lust smiled and then looked to Al, laying in the bed.

"From the looks of it, the transmutation put quite the strain on his body," she said, smiling coyly. "I wonder if he'll make it through the night"

And then the rage surging within him was released, for her always being there and screwing things up for them, and in one swift movement, he transmuted the top plate of his automail arm into a blade and held it in front of Lust's throat, crouching on the bookcase next to her.

"Why don't you go to Hell," he spat bitterly.

"After you," she sneered.

Knowing what would come next, Ed swerved left, just as she extended a finger into his shoulder, close to his neck, a few inches away from where flesh met automail. As he felt pain surge through him, he sliced sideways, hearing the blade connect with the homunculi's flesh. They both withdrew, thick dark blood streaming from their wounds. As they prepared to attack again, Colonel Roy Mustang's voice penetrated the room from the foyer outside.

"Search every corner of this house! I don't want anything over looked!"

"Well, looks like we'll have to finish this later," Lust said, rather annoyed. "Goodbye, Fullmetal runt."

And with that, she jumped backwards and out of a window behind her. Ed just watched her, too dazed to make a fuss about everyone cracking jokes about his height. He just stared numbly at the window, his wound still oozing a deep red puddle onto his cloak. He vaguely heard the door open behind him and Lieutenant Hawkeye's voice.

"He's in here, Colonel. I found him!"

Taking a good look around the room, Hawkeye was horrified by what she saw. In a corner of the room the professor dead, with a gun in his hand and a bullet wound in his head. Edward, standing in the middle of the room, a dark stain creeping across his cloak. A bed near the wall on the right with a young boy in it. And Alphonse, was nowhere to be found. She heard the Colonel's footsteps rush in beside her and his gasp as he took in all that stood before him.

Ed turned and looked at them, a mix of emotions emanating from his dull golden eyes. He then gave a weak smile as he turned and trudged to the bed, sitting next to the sleeping boy and rested his automail hand on his head. He winced, and withdrew the hand. What was he thinking? He couldn't feel anything with that hand. Frustrated, he rose from the bed and went to the other side, situating himself so that the boy's head was resting against his thigh. With his real hand, he stroked the boy's hair gently, smiling down at him.

Hesitantly, Hawkeye walked behind the bed, placing a hand on Ed's good shoulder. Her eyes widened ever so slightly as she discovered that he was trembling. She looked sympathetically to Roy, who nodded, and back to Ed.

"Edward," she spoke softly, careful not to let her voice waver with sympathy. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Ed whispered, smiling warmer.

"Where's Alphonse?"

"Right here," he replied, indicating the boy next to him with his automail hand.

The words seemed to echo throughout the room, ringing like a gong in the officers' ears. Riza's eyes widened more in surprise and she heard Roy, who now stood about five feet in front of the bed, gasp again. A long awkward silence followed. In the end, it was Riza who gathered herself first. She stood and cleared her throat, looking at Roy, telling him to get a hold of himself with her eyes. Roy eyed her and straightened his back, squaring his shoulders even more.

"Well then, Edward, I shall retrieve a doctor for your wound," she said, surprised at how calm her voice was.

He just nodded, still smiling at Al, the blood stain on his cloak sneaking its way to his lower chest. While Riza was gone in search of medical attention, Roy just stood there, a look of empathy making its way on his face. He watched how serene Ed was, as though he had just found enlightenment. He was sure that if he told Fullmetal how short he was right now, he would just sit there, as though unaware of Roy's existence.

Moments later, Riza rushed in, with a military doctor at her heels. She stopped next to the Colonel, while the doctor scurried ahead, stopping to set his medical kit next to the chair that would've gone to the desk if it hadn't been transmuted into a bed. He gently took Ed's cloak, tossing it to the floor, and removed his shirt. Blood stained a river on his flesh, down to his chest and to the middle of his back on the other side. The medic then went through the procedure of cleaning his skin and the wound, and then bandaging it. Ed didn't respond the entire time, except once when the medicine was applied. Feeling the medication against the tear in his skin, he tensed a bit and shut his eyes, drawing in a sharp breath, but he kept his smile the whole time. To the two officers which stood bewildered in the room, it seemed as though _nothing_ could bother Ed unless it concerned his resting brother. The doctor re-packed his kit, stood, saluted, and walked out without saying a single word. Then, the room was silent except for the steady, heavy breathing of Al as he slept peacefully, his back against Edward's leg.

"Nnnng... b-brother," Al murmured, rolling onto his back, his cheek pressing against Ed's leg.

Ed's eyes narrowed with brotherly love as tears began to build in them once more. He adjusted his hand so that he stroked the top of Al's head.

"Yeah, Al?" he whispered, his voice turbulent with emotion.

Hearing his brother's voice, Al's eyes fluttered open, and he winced a little, blinking as they adjusted to the light of the room. Wow! He could blink again! When he could see well enough, he smiled warmly at Ed. Then he reached a hand from under the covers and took his brother's hand from his head, bringing his other hand to close on top of it. Ed's eyes widened as he felt how soft his brother's skin was.

"Brother, your skin is so warm and soft. I'd forgotten what it felt like," he said quietly.

Ed's eyes closed as he took his hand from his brother, bent over and wrapped both arms around Al's head, and gently pulled it so that the top of his brother's head met with the top of his thigh. As he did so, tears began to escape from his eyes. They rapidly fell down his cheeks, landing onto his hands and into Al's hair. He began to tremble violently.

"Al, oh man, Al," he said between sobs.

Alphonse wrestled himself from Ed's grip and sat up slowly. He grasped Ed lightly by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. Ed winced in weak realization of the pain where Lust had pierced his skin.

"Brother, is something wrong?" Al asked with a concerned look in his eyes.

"No Al, nothing's wrong," he whispered, tears free falling to the bed sheets.

"But...then why are you crying?" he asked. He couldn't understand. He'd gotten his body back, you'd think they'd be hugging all over each other and laughing. So why was Ed crying now?

"Because I'm happy Al. I'm just so damn happy," Ed replied with a smile, wrapping his arms around his brother in a tight embrace.

A little surprised, Al returned his brother's embrace, smiling as he shut his eyes. Nothing else matter to him right now he just wanted to sit there with his brother forever.

It was then that Al first realized that something wasn't quite right. For one, he was naked. He mentally shrugged this problem off, understanding that the stone gave him his body, not clothes. Oh how specific must we be? He was relieved that there were blankets upon him, especially when he realized Roy and Riza stood not seven feet from the bed. But he also realized that one arm embracing him was automail. That must mean that Ed's left leg was still automail, too. But why? They had the Philosopher's Stone. Why hadn't Ed used it to return his limbs to normal yet? And then he realized that upon Ed, there was a cloth bandage close to his shoulder, wrapped down diagonally across his chest. And behind that bandage, he could feel warmth oozing onto the cloth. With realization, he began to let small tears trickle down his cheeks.

"B-brother, you're hurt," he said, his voice trembling.

"Not badly. I'll be okay," Ed whispered.

As he spoke, Ed watched as Colonel Mustang walked quietly over to Ed's cloak, where it lay on the floor. He picked it up and began to wring the blood out of it. By the time he was finished, a pool of crimson about one and a half feet in diameter sat on the floor. Roy looked at him sympathetically, letting him know he'd lost more blood than that. For the first time since sustaining the wound, Edward began to fully feel the pain and effects of the blood loss.

As the Colonel drained the blood from his brother's cloak, Al winced. He couldn't see it; he was facing the other way. But no amount of noise could have drowned out the sound of his brother's blood cascading onto the wood floor. To him, it seemed as though someone had turned on a faucet. The sound and the smell made him sick, but instead of commenting on it, he decided to bring up the other issue dwelling in his mind.

"Brother, why do you still have an automail arm and leg?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

Edward gripped him tighter, pulling him closer, and Al grimaced as he felt more warmth seep into the cloth bandage.

"After your body was brought back," Ed let out in a high-pitched whisper. "The stone shattered. It was a fake, but enough to bring back your body."

"You knew it was a fake. You knew this would happen, didn't you?" Al accused sorrowfully.

For a while, it was quiet, nothing moved or made a noise. Except Ed. While everyone held their breath, Ed breathed slowly, ragged. Maybe it was from the blood loss, the fear of revealing the truth, or both. But during that long hesitation, It was made clear to Al what his brother would say. But he didn't want to believe it, and as long as Ed didn't say anything, the truth wasn't real.

But Ed couldn't let the truth stay a theory. He had to tell Al, he_ had_ to. He couldn't keep the truth from his brother, the only really important person he had left in his life. Slowly, with his head pressed to his brother's, he nodded.

Al's eyes widened in shock. He had known this was the truth but he had desperately not wanted to believe it. He pulled from his brother's embrace, looking Ed in the eyes who, despite the tears still creeping down his cheeks, was smiling weakly. Suddenly, all the rage boiling inside Al for all Ed's self-sacrifice for him overwhelmed him, and he struck his brother once across the face, leaving a large red spot, and a look of bewilderment on Ed's face. Tears were now coming in a waterfall down Al's cheeks.

"If you knew it would have happened like this, you should have restored your limbs, _not me!_"

"Don't be stupid Al," Ed murmured. "You know that you're the most important thing to me. You know you come first. What else could I have done? If I'd used it for myself, you'd still be in that armor, and it's my fault you were like that in the first place."

"Please don't say that, Brother. It was my fault as much as yours."

"No, I pushed you into it. You're the one who had the feeling, remember? But I didn't listen, and _you_ payed for it. It was my fault, and I owed it to you to bring your body back first."

Watching the conversation between the boys, Lieutenant Hawkeye put a quiet hand to her mouth, so that she couldn't be seen biting her lip to keep her own eyes from letting go of a stream of salty tears. She saw for herself just how strong the bond between the two boys was, despite all the hell they'd been through. It was enough to warm even the coldest of hearts.

Roy's reaction was somewhat similar. He stood noticeably rigid, a rather distressed look on his face. Looking at those boys, arguing over who was more important, there was just something about it. He couldn't quite place it, but shivers up his spine told him it had something to do with Ishbal. Instead of probing the matter further in his mind, he let it go. He glanced at Hawkeye and quietly moved his arms around her, to keep her from breaking down. He then just stood there, not knowing what to do. He didn't want to say anything to destroy the moment between the brothers, but he didn't know how long he'd be able to stand there without letting a whimper of compassionate sorrow escape him.

"No Brother, please. You can't carry it all on your shoulders alone!"

"I can and I have! It was my fault, so shouldn't I?" Ed screamed. There was only a hint of anger surrounded by the guilt in his eyes and voice.

He was feeling woozy now, Ed was. Naturally he was tired. He hadn't slept in a few days, searching for the stone. He wanted to sleep, but the pain from his shoulder, getting chewed out by Alphonse, and being overtired prevented him from drifting into dreamland.

"I'm your brother! You should let my help you. Please! If you can't entrust me with some of those burdens, then how close are we as brothers? I mean really? I trust you with _everything_. Why can't you trust me?" Al's voice was pleading, desperate. He took Ed's hand in his own as he spoke, clutching it, squeezing it for emphasis. He wanted his brother to understand, he _needed_ him to.

Edward smiled, the tears slowly receding as his vision blurred and dimmed. He could see how desperate Al was, could feel it in Al's trembling hands which gripped his own so tightly.

"I trust you, Al. You know that. I just didn't want you to be crushed under the weight of all that I carried, y'know?"

His voice shook as he spoke, and his last words drifted quietly into the room as he slumped against Al and let himself give into unconsciousness.

Al put his arms around his brother and supported him the best he could.

"Brother? Brother! Please, answer me!" Al screamed frantically, trembling as he gently shook Ed.

Colonel Mustang let go of Riza and walked over to the bed, pressing two fingers to Ed's neck, below the jaw, and found a weak pulse. He sat on the bed next to Al and lightly lay a hand on his shoulder. He struggled to refrain from wincing as Alphonse turned a frightened, tear streaked face to him.

"He's alive, but unconscious. The loss of blood must have finally gotten to him. We should take him to the infirmary in Eastern HQ where he can rest," the Colonel said in a soft, reassuring voice.

Al didn't speak, just nodded. When Roy tried to take Ed into his arms to bring him to the transportation waiting outside, Alphonse tightened his grip and glared at him.

"I'll carry him," he said simply.

Roy withdrew his hand calmly, hiding his surprise. It became harder and harder to maintain the emotionless demeanor that made him such a value to the military. Despite everything, the boys had only grown closer, more inseparable, if it was possible. So instead of replying with the threat of his emotions betraying him, he simply nodded, standing next to the bed as Al, ignoring his nudity, slowly maneuvered Ed so that one arm supported his back, the hand curled around the body and onto the chest and the other under his knees and his brother's head rested on his chest.

"Got him ok, Alphonse?" Hawkeye asked cautiously, moving a step towards him, outstretching a hand.

"Yes. I've got him," he said as he followed Roy out the door.

* * *

So there you have it. I've actually been writing this story for months, and finished is somewhere around the 5 of this month, but it was written in a notebook, and I finally decided to type it and let the world see it. It's rather short tho. Maybe about 5 or 6 chapters. I plan to post it all quickly, so I can get back to writing The Sins that Bind Us, but I wanted feedback on this one. So, hope you had fun with it.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry, this section is LONG! This where most of the action takes place, and I like this section. So, since this section is long enough, I'll let you read what's more important.

* * *

Edward Elric awoke to a dark room and the soft, quiet breathing of someone to the right of him. He sat up and stretched his flesh arm outward and his automail one up, afraid to hit the person nearby. Searching with his left hand, he found a lamp and switched it on. Behind the dark green lampshade, the bulb dimly illuminated the room around him, forcing the shadows to hide in corners and under the furniture. The room was small and, looking around, he could make out little wallpaper trims on the walls where they met the ceiling. It looked to him like a hotel room, as there was a small kitchen-like area in a corner to his left. A door to the right and across the room was ajar, and he could very faintly make out a toilet. It must've been the bathroom. Opposite his was another bed, leaving roughly three feet between them, unoccupied. The room itself smelled faintly of lilacs and antibiotics. The night stand upon which the lamp sat also had bandages, medication and a bowl of water with a cloth half in-half out of it upon its surface. There was a single drawer on its front, which Edward decided not to open.

Next to Edward, the person grunted in their slumber, brushing their arm against his leg. He peered at the person to find it was none other than Alphonse. His hair was messy, and he had clothes on now. A loose, dark-colored shirt covered the boy's torso now. Edward couldn't see what Al had found for his lower half, but he was pretty damn certain that Al wouldn't run around half-naked. Ed now noticed that the shirt his brother wore was wrinkled. Al was sitting in a black cushion armchair, his head and arms resting on the bed next to Ed's leg. Edward wondered how long his brother had been sitting in that chair, waiting for him to awaken. He smiled and set his automail hand on the collar of his brother's shirt, trying hard not to get the cloth stuck in the joints of metal. Al moaned and his head lifted, eyes groggy as Ed pulled away his hand.

"You're awake, Brother," Al said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Yeah, how's your body holding up?" Ed asked, recalling Lust's words.

"Good. I feel fine. What about you? How's your wound?"

That's when Edward felt it again. It surged through him, sending tiny prickly-legged spiders of pain scurrying across his flesh. He winced and clamped his hand on the wound, pressing it tightly, but that only made the pain worse, turning the spiders into clumsy elephants stumbling on his nerves. He clenched his teeth but still smiled at his brother.

"I'm fine," he said. "So, just how long have I been out for?"

"Three days," Al said, moving onto the bed to sit next to his brother. You lost a lot of blood, had a fever, and your heart rate fluctuated a lot. For a while, we weren't sure you were gonna make it."

"Aw, come one, Al. You should know me better than to get done in by some little scratch."

Al smiled and laughed nervously. He then clenched his fists and focused his attention on the wrinkles in the bed sheets, tracing them with his eyes.

"Ed...Brother..." Al whispered, not able to look at his older brother. "Y-your heart _did_ stop. W-w-we were able to get it b-beating again, but after that, it was irregular, and stopped twice after that. The doctors said that altogether so far you've lost roughly three pints of blood. I w-was s-s-so..."

Unable to finish his sentence, he thrust his face into his hands and wept. Since Edward had been admitted to the Eastern Headquarters Intensive Care Unit, (with homelike attributes for Alphonse) doctors came in twice a dat to check in on him and a nurse was always on call. Al had had to constantly check his brother's pulse to make sure his heart was still beating. When Ed's heart had stopped beating those three times, Al had frantically rushed the nurse in and watched them try desperately to get Ed's heart going again. He recalled how he had just sat in the chair watching them pump oxygen into his brother's lungs or send bursts of electricity through his body, tears streaming down his cheeks. Every time Ed's heart has ceased to function, Al had thought how he couldn't live without his brother and please, oh God _please _don't take him away so soon.

Ed's eyes narrowed and a small, warm smile crept onto his face. He ignored the knives of pain near his shoulder and put his automail arm around his brother's shoulder, pulling him so that his head rested on his chest. He could imagine the dear that had tormented Alphonse during his time of unconsciousness. It had to have been similar to the desperate fear that had tore at Ed those many years ago when he had helplessly watched his brother's body being torn apart by the forces of alchemy. He stroked his brother's hair with his real hand in an attempt to calm his heart wrenching sobs.

"It's ok, Al. I'm feeling just fine. Don't worry. I survived, and I always will. I'll never leave your side. I promise," Ed crooned to his younger sibling. It was then that his chest started to hurt a bit when he breathed in.

Al sniffled, his gaze once again to the wrinkle in the bed. His eyes were dull with so many emotions racing through him. He didn't know what to say now. His mother once told him she would never leave him, but she got sick and died. Al knew all too well how easily people could die. Right then, he felt very lonely. His shoulder, which was being held by Ed, was shaken and he looked at his brother again, the tears streaking a silent chorus down his young cheeks.

"You should use that bed over there and get some _real_ sleep," Ed whispered, inclining his head towards the bed opposite his.

Reluctantly, he nodded. During Ed's three days of unconsciousness, Al had stayed awake, watching over him, checking his pulse, whispering to him. He remembered that it was around twelve-thirty in the morning when he had propped his head on a hand, using the other to draw designs on his brother's leg, whispering stories of their mother as Ed slept. He glanced at the clock. It now read one forty-six A.M. Al rose and trudged to the other bed and removed the covers, slipping into in, looking at Ed before laying down.

"Sure you'll be alright?" Al asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry. Get some rest, you deserve it," Ed replied, breathing in slow, shallow breaths.

Still concerned, but too tired to keep his eyes open another minute more, Al nodded and lay down, pulling the covers up to his neck. Within seconds, Ed could hear his brother's heavy breathing as he drifted into sleep. Tears came to his eyes again. How long had it been since he had heard his brother breathing? He couldn't really be sure. Time passed without him, and he barely regarded it. He only knew time in the sense of how long it took to restore Al's body. He remembered the morning before he and Al had gotten the stone. The sun was rising and the clock in the hotel room said four eighteen A.M. Ed's mental clock had said one thousand nine hundred and six days, seven hours and twenty minutes since he had cursed Al by putting him in that suit. Now how would he keep track of time? He supposed he would have to learn what year it was and get accustomed to using a calender again. Damn, nothing could be simple anymore, could it?

Ed's stomach let of a low, deep growl. He sighed and decided the couldn't think on an empty stomach. In a way, so many thing would change now, though. He'd have to buy new clothes for Al. Not only that, but he wouldn't be the only one eating now. He was rather frightened, imagining how much Al would eat. He ate quite a bit on his own, racking up a rather high bill. Now he'd have to pay for two. He smiled, picturing a pile of plates on one side of each boy, stacked ten feet high.

Searching in the three foot refrigerator, the first thing Ed saw was a gallon of milk with a card in front of it. He sighed and picked the card up with his flesh hand and holding open the door with his butt. Instantly, he frowned. The front of the card was painted with the Colonel's infamous array in red. Opening the card, Ed read what the man had written, regretting it immediately.

_Fullmetal, here's some milk. Drink it and you'll get better faster. You might even get taller, Hagane-no-chibi! Roy_

"Obsessed bastard," Ed muttered, throwing the card on the floor.

Turning his attention back to the fridge, Ed found some orange juice and a ham sandwich. There was a card in front of that, too.

_I thought this would be your first stop. Hope I made this right!_

_Al_

Ed laughed to himself. Even under stress, Al thought of everything. He could always keep his cool. Amazing.

He took the little meal out and quietly shut the door of the fridge. When he turned around around, he saw that there was a small table for two, which he sat at, setting down the juice and sandwich. He looked around the room. Being that the the lamp was dim and the sun wasn't up yet, the room was relatively dark. Ed didn't mind though. In the dark, he could see just how bright the future would be, or at least, how he hoped it would be.

After a few minutes, he looked back to the plate in front of him and, realizing the sandwich remained untouched, picked it up and looked it over. How could anyone make a sandwich wrong? Al must've meant that he wanted to make it the way their mother had.

Smiling at Al's attempt to mimic their mother, Ed took a bite of the sandwich. Not bad. Everything seemed to taste as it did those many years ago. But tastes were so hard to remember, so he couldn't really be too sure. Right now, he knew that it was a damn good sandwich.

He finished it quickly, licking his left fingers free of crumbs. He was still hungry, though. So he got up and shuffled to the refrigerator, wincing each time his bare automail foot clanked against the linoleum floor. He kept thinking he was going to wake Al up, but his brother didn't stir. Over the years of being stuck in that suit, he must've gotten used to the sound the metal made as it moved to the point where he ignored it.

When he reached the refrigerator again and looked inside, he saw a rather large bowl of soup behind where the sandwich sat previously. As with the sandwich, there was a card in front of the soup.

_I know you'd still be hungry! I hope this doesn't taste as bad as it looks! o'_

_Al_

What was he talking about? To Edward, the soup looked delicious. He took the bowl out and shut the fridge door and brought the bowl over to the stove, turned it on and began to heat it up. Taking a closer look as he stirred it, he discovered it was a beef stew. The smell of it made Ed's mouth water. When it was heated, he brought it over to the table and sat down.

Hungrily, he lifted a spoonful and threw it into his mouth. Swallowing quickly, he smiled. When had Al become such a good cook? He didn't have the slightest idea. Maybe he read recipe books when Ed slept. Well, either way, Al was one hell of a cook. Ed was in the middle of these thoughts when he brought the spoon to his mouth and nothing came from it. Dazed, he looked at the bowl to find he'd finished the stew already.

"Really good stew, Al," Ed mumbled to the bowl.

"You really think so?" Al's voice asked behind him.

Ed jumped and turned to his brother with a 'why are you up?' look.

"I couldn't sleep," Al shrugged, an innocent smile appearing on his face.

"Yeah, it was real good. You're a natural chef," Ed said smiling after a minute.

"You think so?" Al asked, jumping a little in excitement. "Sometimes when I couldn't sleep or when I couldn't make sense of one of the alchemy books, I'd flip through some recipe books."

"Heh, I figured as much. Anyways, any reason _why_ you can't sleep?"

"I don't know. Guess I'm just too worried about you."

"Alright, alright." Ed got up from his chair and walked to his bed, spinning it and pushing it against Al's. "My bed'll be right next to yours, like when we were kids, ok?"

Al laughed and nodded. Ed could be so thoughtful, when he wanted to be. He walked to the bed and jumped in as Ed slipped under the covers of his bed.

"Do you mind if the light stays on?" Ed asked his brother.

"Actually, yes. I'm sorry," Al apologized meekly while Ed got up and turned off the lamp and got back in the back.

"No problem. Now get some sleep, ok?"

"Ok, I'll try. Promise to stay alive, ok?" Al whimpered childishly.

"I promise," Ed laughed.

Then it was silent. Edward sat alone in the dark, staring at the wall opposite him. After five minutes or so, he heard Al's steady breathing, signaling that he had fallen asleep. Ed sighed deeply. Honestly, he had to pee. The night before they'd gotten the Stone, Ed had little to eat or drink, due to the fact that he had spent a lot of the time trying to get information. The morning of that day, he had had a light breakfast and a cup of coffee, to keep him awake. Throughout the day, leading up to the point of finding the professor dead and the Stone sitting casually on his desk, Ed had drank water. Now that he thought of it, from the coffee, water, liquid waste from food and whatnot, he had to have been holding at least forty fluid ounces, if not more. Not only that, but he had held it for more than three days. He was surprised he hadn't saturated the bed while unconscious. Now, his bladder threatened to burst all over the bed and it ached from being overfull.

Slowly and reluctantly, Ed got out of bed and crept into the bathroom, leaving the light off and the door open. Since he didn't want to wake Al, he had to rely on the fact that his eyes had adjusted to the dark by now.

It was then that he became fully aware that he was dressed only in his boxers. The linoleum floor of the bathroom was cold against the bare flesh of this right foot. Quickly and as quietly as he could, he did his business and got back into his bed. Instead of laying down, he remained sitting and leaning against the wall. Next to him, Al's breathing became slightly labored.

"Mom," Al moaned.

Ed smiled and placed an affectionate hand on his brother's head. Then came the sound of the door creaking open, and Ed turned his attention to it apprehensively. From the door emerged two figures, whispering to one another. The taller of the two, a male in build and voice, brought a chair next to his bed and sat down. The other, with a feminine voice, took hold of his left wrist and started to check his pulse.

"You're awake. That's good news," said Roy Mustang's voice in the chair next to him.

"Yeah. Apparently, I almost didn't make it," Ed whispered.

"That's right. You scared the hell out of Al. He kept crying and begging you not to die. It was really sad. Fullmetal, he was really worried about you."

"Ok, your pulse is fine," the woman said. "Now your breathing.'

Next thing Edward knew, the cold surface of a stethoscope was pressing against his chest. Reflexively, he gasped and shivered. The woman ignored him and listened for a minute or two, gave a thumbs-up and left.

"I know he was worried," Ed sighed. "I tried not to lose consciousness or make him worry but..."

"Fullmetal, you couldn't help it. You were injured protecting the most important person in your life. It's to be expected when you lose that much blood. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

"I know, but I can't but think that I cause Al so much trouble."

"Don't be stupid. Al's your brother and he loves you. No matter what, he'll stay by your side. He doesn't care how dangerous it is. He cares about you, Fullmetal," Roy said sternly.

"I know that he cares about me. But he shouldn't have to feel obligated to stay with me. He...he should enjoy his life, the way he wants to. He shouldn't have to recklessly put himself in danger 'cause of me."

Ed's head was forced away from Roy as pain surged through his cheek. The sound of flesh connecting with flesh rang throughout the room. The sound seemed to drum Ed's ears so loudly he was surprised Al didn't wake up.

Slowly, Ed raised his flesh hand to the spot on his cheek that throbbed, his eyes growing wider the closer it got to the tender spot. He cautiously turned to face Roy, who was slowly putting his hand back down.

Roy's entire shadowed form was trembling fiercely. His face was stricken as though he was as shocked at what he had done as Ed was. His breathing was fractured, escaping from his lungs in short bursts. His eyes were pained, as though he was struggling not to scream. Hitting Edward was a course of action the older man would have preferred not to take.

"I-I'm sorry Fullmetal," Roy breathed out. "But I couldn't let you continue talking like that. Al loves you so much, and he'll do anything for you. He doesn't give a damn if it's dangerous! You're the only one he can trust, the only one he can confide in. You saved his life when you put him in that suit of armor. You think you cursed him then, but if you didn't put him in that suit, you'd be all alone; Alphonse would be dead."

A small gasp escaped Edward and his eyes widened a little more. Yes, that was true, wasn't it? If Ed had been more afraid of pain, or had not acted when he did, Al would indeed be dead, wouldn't he? His eyes narrowed and he gave a weak and sad smile.

"Thanks Roy, I needed someone to knock some sense into me."

Roy winked and raised an arm, placing his other hand on his upper arm and grinned.

"Anytime. Hey, if you want, I'll knock some more sense into you," he teased.

"Nah, that's ok. I'm bound to get a pounding from Al when I get better. And no doubt Winry's heard about this already, so she'll rush out here with her Wrench of Doom."

For a moment, both men were quiet, contemplating. Then they looked at each other again and laughed hysterically.

"Where did she get that wrench anyways?" Roy asked after the laughing ceased.

"I bought it for her a few years back. See, there was this shop and she needed more parts for her and Auntie's automail shop. She saw the wrench and fell in love with it. Since I don't get to see her too often anymore, I bought it for her. You know, sort of as an apology for not being there. Auntie Pinako says she always had that wrench with her, that she even sleeps with it. Kind of silly when I think about it."

"How so?"

"How many people do you know that sleep with a wrench?"

"Not many. But that's not important. From what I understand, Winry is like a sister to you boys."

"Yeah," Ed replied quietly, focusing his attention on the creases in his bed sheets. "We've known each other as long as I can remember. She and Auntie Pinako became our family after..." He paused, shutting his eyes tight at the still-painful memory. "...After Mom died."

"Well, since she's so close to you, she holds that wrench dear to her. You can't exactly blame her for trying to keep you boys close in any way she can," Roy said quietly.

"I guess so," Edward murmured.

"M-moth...er..." Al mumbled as he rolled onto his side.

"And how's Alphonse doing?" Mustang inquired.

"Well, I've been out of it for three days, so I can't exactly say for sure, but his body seems to be holding up pretty well, so that's a good thing."

"One of the nurses seem to think otherwise," Roy commented.

"What do you mean?" Ed asked, inclining his head to the older man with a hint of worry in his voice.

"When we brought you here, we were also worried about Alphonse, so we had to let the doctors in on the situa–"

"You told them!" the blonde-haired chibi nearly screamed.

"Not everything. But they had to at least why a naked fourteen year-old was carrying in a bleeding teenage. Don't worry, we didn't say anything about human transmutation or the Stone. We told them that due to a recent and difficult event, circumstances required a periodical check-up on Alphonse's physical status."

"That better have been it," Edward warned with a glare.

"Anyway, I visited here yesterday and a nurse told me that Alphonse complained of a slight breathing difficulty and chest pain. Investigation of this problem has revealed that his heart and lungs are... rather slow at adapting to the change of being in a body of flesh and blood."

"Is he going to be ok?" the golden-eyed boy asked, his voice now hinting panic.

"As long as he doesn't undergo too much stress, he should be fine after a few days," the Colonel said. For added reassurance, he rested a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Instead of answering, Edward merely cast his gaze upon his sleeping sibling and gave a sorrowful smile. Roy couldn't help but smile as well. Here was this boy, who'd been on death's doorstep several times in the part few days, and all he was worried about was his brother. The older man couldn't imagine the pain the older Elric must be in at the moment, but he was sure it must be quite a lot. Yet he seemed to ignore this pain so that he could care for his brother.

"Well, as long as he'll be ok," Edward said quietly.

"I'm sure he will. He's a strong boy," Roy replied. "Oh, have you eaten yet?"

"Yeah. Al made me a sandwich and some stew. He's a pretty good cook, you know? Best stew I've had in years."

"Did you drink the milk?"

"Hell no. I would never _willingly_ drink that stuff. It tastes like vomit," Edward scoffed.

"Fullmetal–"

"I have a name, Mustang, and it sure as hell ain't 'Fullmetal.'"

"_Edward_," Roy said as though it was painful to say his name. "Milk won't only make you taller, but–"

"Who are you calling so small he needs Miracle Grow if he ever wants to be seen!" Edward interrupted, fuming.

"Quite finished?" Roy asked, annoyed. When Edward looked at him with confused eyes, he continued. "It has vitamins and such that will help you heal faster."

"I don't care. That stuff is horrible."

"So plug your nose."

"Screw you. I don't have to take orders from you!"

"Well, if it was during military hours and you were on duty, you would. And although I should, I won't order you to do so. I'm not ordering you, Edward. I'm merely asking that you take better care of yourself."

"And why the hell do you care?"

A long silence followed the boy's question. Edward quietly played with Alphonse's hair while he waited for an answer, and Roy watched him. It was amazing how the bond between brothers could calm a raging microbe.

"It doesn't matter why I care. Everyone needs someone to care for them," Roy said finally.

"I've got Al," Ed retorted.

"There's no law saying there can only one person to care for you."

"I don't need a milk-obsessed pyro to worry about me. It's bad enough that Al is always worried. I wish he didn't worry so much. Especially now that he's got his body back. He should be worrying about himself, not me."

"I agree with you to a certain degree, Edward," Roy said, putting a thoughtful hand to his chin.

"You...you do?" Edward asked with disbelief. He turned his head so that he faced the man in the early morning darkness.

"Well, sure. I mean, he's your brother, so of course he's going to worry about you. It's only natural. But the stress could indeed strain his newly reformed body. Then again, Edward, too much stress in _any_ situation is bad. It's not healthy to stress all the time, and it's bound to bring about illness. But you should know that, isn't that right, Edward?"

A small, awkward silence followed. Edward gazed at the Colonel with a haunted look in his golden hues. To his horror, the man's hair, skin and clothing all disappeared into the shadows, yet his eyes, which were usually the darkest and most profound part of the man, seemed to shine brilliantly with accusation.

"You know exactly what I mean, Edward," Roy incriminated quietly. "I bet Al doesn't even know you're sick, does he?"

The young Elric just looked at his left leg, studying the metal that twisted around itself to form the unfeeling limb.

"You were prepared to give up everything, even your life, so that Alphonse could have a body. Isn't that right?"

The blonde-haired boy nodded.

"Not only that," Roy went on. "But over these past years, you've utterly forgotten your health, put yourself aside so that you could focus on getting that stone. Isn't that right!"

"...yes," Edward said painfully.

"Why! Do you realize that you could die die because you carelessly put your health on hold!"

"Because I had to! I had to fix everything I did wrong! I had to do and still have to do _anything_ I can to make sure Al is safe and happy!" Edward snapped. "I don't care what happens to me, as long as Al is fine...that's good enough for me..."

"But if you're dead or terribly ill, you can't protect Al. Did you ever think of that?"

"Of course I did! Any sane person would consider the idea. But I figured that if I died, at least I'd go down knowing I did everything I could to make things right."

"But you can still try and make things right and take care of yourself!"

And then another silence. He was right. It was possible to do that, yes, but Edward had never considered that option. But now that he thought about it, it seemed...selfish to even consider putting himself before his brother. He slowly shook his head.

"Al comes first," he whispered.

"I know that he's important to you, Edward," Roy said, placing a warm hand on the young alchemist's flesh shoulder. To his surprise, it was cold as ice. "But you can't make him happy if you're dead. Consider it this way; if you died because you were so busy taking care of Alphonse, he would think of it as his fault. To him, it would be like he hindered you, prevented you from taking care of yourself because you were so occupied with fretting over him. Or if you had sacrificed yourself so that he could have his body back. Every time he would look in the mirror or at his flesh, he'd see you dying."

"What's the point?" Edward whispered shakily.

"You're everything to him, Ed. Just as he is to you. But he's also young, naive, and may not be able to deal with the loss of the only family he has left. He might try to...follow you Edward," Roy said darkly.

Roy did not expect what happened next. Suddenly, the young Elric thrust himself into the older man's chest, pressing against his black coat and sobbing. The chibi's hands moved to Roy's pant legs, where they balled up tight, seizing the cloth in them. For a while, the man with the haunting dark eyes could only stare in disbelief at the top of the boy's blonde head. Then he heard low mumbling and felt the vibrating thought his chest.

"What did I do wrong? Where did I become so blind? Oh Al! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me for all the hell I've put you through. You must hate me by now. I'm so sorry."

Roy remained silent, but carefully put his arms around the distraught teen. Terrible shudders racked his young body, so fierce that Roy was afraid the small frame might shatter. Roy wondered how it was possible that someone his age could be tormented by such thoughts. He was still a child. No, he supposed that wasn't correct. True, Edward had the body of a teenager, but he was already a grown man, mentally. He must've grown up on that night, as soon as he sacrificed his arm to save his younger brother. And even more so when he decided to dedicate himself to finding the Philosopher's Stone to bring Alphonse's body back. In essence, Edward Elric had skipped at least ten years of life when he gave himself these responsibilities.

"Al...so sorry. Please forgive me...I tried... I really did...to make everything ok...Al" Edward murmured between sobs.

"Ed, it's ok. You have nothing to be sorry for. Al doesn't blame you. No one does. It's ok. I know how you feel. But listen to me. Everything's ok now, and you and Al can go home and live your lives away from all this turmoil," Roy said, reassuringly stoking the boy's soft golden hair.

Edward could not think of anything else to say. Was what Roy just said really true? Could they really just go back to Resembool and forget everything? No, that was impossible. There was no way he could forget those horrible sins he committed. Not ever.

"Edward, are you going to be ok?" Roy asked quietly.

Edward slowly nodded, his breathing becoming steadier, the tears gradually ceasing. Roy carefully pulled the blonde-haired chibi from him and looked at him.

"You sure?" Roy asked sternly.

Edward nodded again.

"Yeah, I'll be ok. It's just..." Elric whispered, pausing to place a hand to his chest.

"What?" Roy asked with worry invading his tone.

"My chest, it hurts. Like...like it's in a vice," Ed commented with confusion.

"Probably too much strain. You should rest."

"I guess so."

"Alright," Roy said, standing. "Now I expect a full recovery, and that includes getting your illness treated. And one more thing; after you're clear to leave the hospital, you will take a vacation. I'm authorizing a two month leave. And I want you enjoy yourself."

"Uh...ok," Ed said, bewildered. Roy was...being nice to him. Maybe a sign of the Apocalypse.

"And enjoying yourself does _not_ include destruction. I don't want to see any reports about you getting in trouble. Is that understood?"

"...Sure," Ed replied cautiously.

"Good. See you in two months then."

And with that, Roy walked out the door, shutting it behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

As Roy Mustang made his way down the hospital hallway, he ran a tired hand through his raven hair. Between work and Edward, there was enough stress to make an army fear basic training. He should have expected this when Fullmetal had come to him a few days ago, claiming he'd found the the location of a _real_ Stone this time.

Sitting patiently in the waiting room, wearing black slacks, a blue blouse and her hair down was Riza Hawkeye. She sat cross-legged upon a black cushioned chair, reading a novel with a jungle-green cover. When Roy sat next to her, slumping in the seat and placing hands upon temples, she didn't look up. And Roy didn't say anything either. Part of the reason was because he was afraid he'd get shot if he interrupted her. But he also did not know how to put what had just happened into words. So he shut his eyes and heaved an exhausted sigh. After a minute or so, he heard Riza turn the page of her novel. He listened as a bookmark was placed in the crook where the two pieces of paper met and then as the book was quietly shut.

"How is he?" Riza asked finally after gazing at Roy for a few moments.

"Alive. Awake. A little upset, but ok," Roy said.

"And his condition?" she inquired.

Roy sat up, put his elbows on his knees, folded his hands, and rested his chin upon them.

"Well, it seems his heart rate and breathing have stabilized, but the entire incident took a toll on him psychologically."

"What do you mean?"

Roy shut his eyes again, wondering if he should tell her what had happened it that room, or his illness. It was hard enough for him to believe it, but at least now he knew his suspicions were correct.

Instead of replying directly, he simply said, "That boys acts as though he's older than I am, yet he's still just a boy."

Riza nodded. Roy wasn't wasn't sure if he understood, but she probably did; she was a smart woman. But she also didn't want to pry into the matter. Obviously, it difficult for him to speak about it. Not only that, but the man was exhausted. With Edward in that condition, Roy hadn't slept well. He visited Ed every day, at least three times, often skipping skipping his lunch break. She would walk into work each morning to find him pacing or anxiously tapping his pen against his desk.

"Colonel, you should go home and get some rest," Riza said after a few minutes.

"I know, but..." Roy said quietly.

"He'll be fine," she said quickly.

"..."

"You two are always at each other's throats, you hound him about his destructive ways and joke about his height and lack thereof; but you really care about him, don't you?" she asked.

He nodded, small smile creeping onto his face, although his eyes emanated sorrow.

"It's ok, go home," Riza prompted, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Slowly he nodded and stood, Riza standing with him, putting a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Cautiously, she led him out of the hospital and down the street to his house, where he opened the door and walked to the couch and slumped down.

"Thank you, Riza," he said tiredly. "Now you should go home, too; Hayate must miss you."

"Just get some rest, ok?"

"Sure."

Riza nodded, not bothering to hide the concern in her eyes. With one last look back at him, Riza shut the door and made her way home.


	4. Chapter 4

Shortly after Roy left, Edward's chest pains began to get worse. He lightly touched his left to the flesh, only to feel his heart racing and skipping beats. His eyes widened in fear and the pain grew worse, but he refrained from crying out, because he didn't want to wake Al. Instead, he shifted in his bed. However, that was a bad idea, because the movement resulted in his brother rolling over, his eyes quietly fluttering open. Ed stopped moving around when he noticed Al was awake, but he had already seen his nii-san's struggle against pain.

"You ok?" Al asked quietly.

"I-I'm fine," Ed rasped between quickened breaths.

"Please don't lie to me, Nii-san," Al pleaded, sitting up in bed.

Ed sighed. Maybe Al should know the truth, but he might get angry with him. But if he didn't tell him, he'd feel like he was lying to Al, and the pain of realizing that truth hurt more than his chest did.

"Al...my chest hurts. I have to tell you why. Now. I-I've been sick...for a couple years now and..."

Al slapped his cheek so hard that not only was his head forced away, but he felt it vibrate through his body. When he finally looked back at his brother, there were tears in his young eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me, Nii-san? Why!" Al asked angrily, but there was an immense amount of fear in his voice too. He must have thought that it was the sickness their mother had had.

"I didn't want you to insist to put the search on hold, just because of me," he said quietly.

"But...what if you...?" Al asked fearfully.

"I won't. I promise."

"But Mom–"

"I know. But I won't. Trust me."

"Promise me...that you'll get better."

Ed nodded, the pain beginning to subside a little. "I promise."

"Now, Nii-san, please rest now, ok? You need to rest."

"I've been resting for three days. I think that's long enough. Besides, you know I can't just sit here and do nothing. I get fidgety," Edward said with a weak laugh.

"Getting fidgety is better than dying," the younger Elric pointed out.

"Ok, ok. I give. I'll rest, just for you. But you have to promise to sleep too, ok?"

"But what if––?"

"If anything happens, I'm sure a nurse will know. Relax. I feel much better now. No worries, ok?"

"Ok," Al said with a small nod.

Then the two slipped quietly under the covers and fell asleep, holding one-another's hands, just as the did when they were kids.

* * *

The next time Ed opened his eyes, it was daylight, and his left hand had fallen asleep, which was still holding Al's hand. His chest was still sore, but not too much, and his hair had magically escaped his braid. He focused his on Alphonse, who was still sound asleep. Then he slowly rolled onto, so that he could still clasp his brother's hand and looked to the side, only to find Lieutenant Maria Ross sitting in the chair Roy had previously moved next to his bed. He nearly jumped in surprise and screamed, but retained his composure and gave her a half death-glare, telling her he wasn't happy with her intrusion.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, letting annoyance seep into his tone.

"Colonel Mustang asked me to keep watch on you," she replied simply.

"Did he now?"

"Yes."

"And how long have I sleeping for?"

"Four days."

"Four days! Are you serious?"

"Quite. You and Alphonse have been asleep for four days since Colonel Mustang left," Ross confirmed.

"Four days, eh?" Ed said with a sigh. "How's Al been doing over that time frame? I'm sure nurses have been checking up on him."

"His body is stabilizing, so I think it's safe to say he's doing fine."

"Good. I was pretty worried about him, especially when Mustang said he wasn't doing so good. I never would have known; he always acts like everything's ok."

"Just like his brother," Ross said with a nod.

"I guess that's true. He seems to try to get into as much trouble as me sometimes."

"It's because he looks up to you."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. But that doesn't mean that he should get himself in trouble, too."

"Maybe you shouldn't either," Maria said sternly.

"Can't help it. Trouble practically stalks me."

"Because you go looking for it."

"I do not," Ed retorted.

"Please! Searching for the Philosopher's Stone practically turns you into a beacon that says, 'Hey, come get me, I have lots of information leading to the location and/or the production of a Philosopher's Stone!'"

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"Listen to me, Edward. Now that Alphonse has a human body, you have to be extra careful. Before, he was virtually immortal; there was no heart to pierce, no blood to lose. But now it's all there, and he's as fragile as any other person."

"Yeah. You're right. So that's why I've decided that we're going to stop searching and finally go home," Ed said quietly.

"What do you mean, Nii-san?" Al's voice asked suddenly.

"Oh, so you're awake," Maria said.

Both boys sat up in their beds, letting go of one another's hands. Al looked at his elder brother, while Ed focused on the blanket that covered his lower half.

"...Nii-san?"

"It's over. Our search is over. You've got your body back. Now you need to be able to enjoy it. The best way to do that is to go back to Resembool. We can go live with Auntie Pinako and Winry. You'll be able to taste new foods and feel the water of the river against your skin. I'll even let you have a cat. It'll be a great experience for you," Edward said with a smile.

"Really! I can have a cat! Yay! ...But your arm. And your leg..."

"That's not important. Besides, I've gotten used to the automail. And there's no reason to put you at risk anymore."

"I don't care about the risk!" Al said with a controlling tone. "You've done so much to get my body back, you even became what you hated; a dog of the military. Now you're saying that everything you've sacrificed is ok now, because I've got my body back? You're saying I can't sacrifice just as much to get _your_ normal body back? I won't buy that!"

"Al. Stop it. Listen to yourself. Think of the risks. If something went wrong, it could end up like before. And last time I checked, we don't carry a suit of armor in our suitcase. And then we'd be right back to where we started. And what good would that do?" Ed asked with a sympathetic smile.

"But...look at everything you've done for me! I should at least be able to try to help you. It's the least I can do to repay you!"

"Al, do you hear what you're saying?" Ed asked, grabbing his brother's shoulders gently. "Repay me? Come on, I'm your brother. Just your being alive and with me is payment enough. And how could I ask for anything from you? You've given me anything I could ever ask for."

"N-Nii-san..."

Tears quietly came to Al's eyes and he thrust himself into his brother, throwing his arms around Edward and crying over his flesh shoulder. This action put some strain on the blonde-haired alchemist, but he ignored the pain and put his own arms around his younger brother. A warm smile crept onto his boyish features.

"Y-you're so stupid, N-Nii-san," Al stammered between sobs. "You'll d-do anything for m-me, no matter what price you have to pay."

"Everything I do is for you, Al," Ed said quietly. "All I want is for you to be happy and safe. I'll do anything it takes to ensure it. I don't care about the cost to me."

"That's s-so stupid. You can't just throw everything away f-for me. You have to be able to enjoy life too, Nii-san. Please, be happy and take care of yourself."

"Al..."

"Nii-san. You want me to be happy, right?" Al said suddenly.

"Of course, Al. I could never want anything else."

"You know what would make me happy? If you got your sickness treated and you took better care of yourself, and enjoyed yourself, too."

"Al...I..."

"Promise me. Promise me you'll take better care of yourself."

Ed sighed and shifted his eyes to Maria, who sat rigidly, trying to look stern, but he could tell that she was about twenty seconds away from hugging them both.

He smiled, shut his eyes and nodded. Alphonse didn't reply in any way, so he ran his flesh hand through his brother's hair to get his attention.

"Ok, Al. I promise," he whispered.

Alphonse nodded and sniffled, a small smile creeping onto his tear-streaked face.


	5. 5: End

I know, I planned to post this entire thing over a few days, but I got impatient. So here's the last chapter of Kyodai. I hope you don't hate the ending as much as I do!

* * *

That day, due to the insistence of Alphonse, Edward's illness was treated successfully, and was bid to rest by doctors, military and his brother alike. After a few more days of said resting, the Elric brothers were given the OK to leave the hospital. That very day, the took a train out to Resembool, accompanied by Major Armstrong, where Edward spent his two-month leave at the Rockbell residence. That time was spent largely with Alphonse, getting him used to smells, tastes and the feel of things. Being as well paid as he was with his military salary, he spoiled his younger brother, taking him wherever he wanted to go. He also bought him whatever he asked for and more, including the promised cat, which Al affectionately named Trisha. During that time, Alphonse relearned what it felt like to be licked silly by a dog, and how soft his cat's fur was. He felt the grass against his skin as he and Edward watched the stars, and the wind as it blew through his hair.

And Edward kept his promise. He treated his wounds correctly and went to the doctor when he fell ill. But in the back of his mind was always one lingering thoughts; _Al comes first._

Owari

ｵﾜﾘ


End file.
